Amazon Creek is a
stream that runs through southeastern and western
Eugene,
Oregon
Oregon () is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of its eastern boundary with Idaho. T ...
, United States. It is a tributary of the
Long Tom River and is Eugene's second-largest waterway after the
Willamette River
The Willamette River ( ) is a major tributary of the Columbia River, accounting for 12 to 15 percent of the Columbia's flow. The Willamette's main stem is long, lying entirely in northwestern Oregon in the United States. Flowing northward b ...
.
Background
Amazon Creek's
headwaters
The headwaters of a river or stream is the farthest place in that river or stream from its estuary or downstream confluence with another river, as measured along the course of the river. It is also known as a river's source.
Definition
The ...
are located in Eugene's southeast hills near
Spencer Butte. The creek bed has been altered from the foot of Spencer Butte so it flows north from Martin Street through Amazon Park in a channel. At 24th street it enters a 1.75 mile concrete channel. The stream travels north to 18th Avenue, turning west near High Street and continuing into the levee channel (diversion canal) near the Lane County Fairgrounds at Jefferson Street.
It continues west to Fern Ridge Reservoir and the Long Tom River.
It collects water from 21 square miles of urban landscapes and storm drains, providing flood control, wildlife habitat, and recreation.
In 1946, the
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
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, anniversaries = 16 June (Organization Day)
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widened, deepened, and realigned the creek from Hilyard Street to
Fern Ridge Reservoir
Fern Ridge Reservoir (or Fern Ridge Lake) is a reservoir on the Long Tom River in the U.S. state of Oregon. The reservoir is located approximately west of Eugene on Oregon Route 126. The reservoir is a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers flood control p ...
in a diversion canal as a means of controlling floodwaters in the area.
The Amazon flood control project was completed in 1958, using a trapezoidal channel designed to withstand a 25-year flood.
The lower reach of Amazon Creek from Bailey Hill Road to the
Coos Bay Rail Link The Coos Bay Rail Line is a railroad line from the Willamette Valley to the Port of Coos Bay on the Oregon Coast and Coquille, Oregon, in the United States. It is owned and operated by the Oregon International Port of Coos Bay. The rail is operate ...
(former
Southern Pacific Railway) rail line has been the subject of current restoration efforts to widen the creek and plant native species along the banks.
The City of Eugene has designated Amazon Creek as a natural area, noting, "These areas support a wide diversity of plants and wildlife, including many endangered and rare species. These areas also provide valuable
ecosystem services
Ecosystem services are the many and varied benefits to humans provided by the natural environment and healthy ecosystems. Such ecosystems include, for example, agroecosystems, forest ecosystem, grassland ecosystems, and aquatic ecosystems. ...
… and many other important functions that benefit our community."
Geography
Coordinates
See also
*
List of rivers of Oregon
This is a partial listing of rivers in the state of Oregon, United States. This list of Oregon rivers is organized alphabetically and by tributary structure. The list may also include streams known as creeks, brooks, forks, branches and prongs, as ...
References
External links
Amazon Creek Priority Planning Areafro
Metro Waterways: A Study of the Eugene-Springfield Metropolitan Region
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Geography of Eugene, Oregon
Rivers of Oregon
Rivers of Lane County, Oregon